PORTLAND, Ore. --- Infielder Justin Thaxton has committed to the Pilots baseball program and will transfer to The Bluff with two years of eligibility remaining, announced Portland head coach Geoff Loomis. Thaxton comes to UP from Cisco College, where he spent a year after beginning his collegiate career at the University of the Pacific.
 
"Justin is an established left-handed hitter that has experience in the West Coast Conference," Portland assistant coach Jake Valentine. "He is coming in with a chip on his shoulder and we enjoy that about him. We look forward to adding his bat and experience to our lineup."
 
In his one year with Cisco, Thaxton hit .311 with three home runs, nine doubles and 18 RBI's.
 
Previously, the native of Las Animas, Colo., starred at Regis Jesuit High School, where he led the Raiders to a runner-up finish in the 2014 Colorado State Championships. That same year, Aurora won the Continental League title with a perfect 11-0 record, their second consecutive league crown. Thaxton was named both all-league and all-state as a senior after leading the Raider offense with a .452 batting average, while claiming nine home runs and 32 RBI's. As a junior Thaxton posted a .417 batting average, tallied a .517 on-base percentage and was named all-conference. His sophomore year he hit an impressive .529.